Sterling Wine Auctions Australia

Are we ready for Low alcohol wines? I am! A bloke called Hugh Johnson recently went to bat on the same subject. Hugh said some hard things. Well he would wouldn’t he!

JOHNSON SLAMS HIGH ALCOHOL WINES

UK wine expert Hugh Johnson has come out against high alcohol wines, calling them "boring" and "without useful purpose". Johnson has likened the sensory characteristics of high alcohol red wine in the market to port, while high alcohol whites, says Johnson, taste like peaches in brandy.

According to InfoWine the Internet Journal of Viticulture and Enology
“High alcohol wines are a consequence of long grape ripening in warmer climates. Techniques to reduce alcohol content, such as reverse osmosis, are gaining popularity in New World winemaking countries.”

Well there you have it. Don’t you love the “Peaches in Brandy”

Back to the real world, Now that 50 winters have passed me by, big wines particularly at lunch are just too hard!

If winemakers continue to refuse to make good old fashioned 10-12% wines, I will just have to start drinking the new Pirra range from Pirramirra.

Good value, good taste and a full bodied red clocking in under 12% the white blend under 10%

Buy them try them and let me know what you think.

Just for the record you can make good low alcohol wines without fancy equipment. One of my favourite lunch wines was (past tense, sadly drank it all) the 1999 Piano Gully Cabernet from Pemberton which clocked in under 11%

Look at alcohol levels for WA 2006 wines. Very, very long cool season that already produced some stunning “light” wines. If you can get your hands on the Chalice Bridge 2006 Sauv Blanc do your own track test. Made by the king of Aussie premium Chardonnay, Bob Cartwright (28 vintages at Leeuwin Estate) I love this wine. I wonder how it will age?

September 2006